


Keep it Intact

by lunacrowne



Category: B.A.P, K-pop
Genre: Attempt at Humor, CSI References, Corpses, Crime Scenes, Dismemberment, Forensics, M/M, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Murder Mystery, Nerdiness, Serial Killers, Thriller, forensics au, pervs, pervy pathologist/coroner!Daehyun, reader discretion advised nonetheless, rest of BAP as crime scene investigators, sassy ballistics lab!Youngjae, slight ot6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-21 01:08:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3671799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunacrowne/pseuds/lunacrowne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Youngjae knew this when he got into forensics— all is never quiet on the lab front, especially if you’ve got a serial killer on the loose with a penchant for dismemberment.</p><p>But Jung Daehyun from pathology<i> could</i> stop hitting on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Youngjae fires a round into the enclosed chamber and watches as it pierces through the ballistics gel of the dummy model’s chest. He rushes up to examine the shape of the wound left by the firearm, noting that the bullet had gone right through and exited out the back from the angle he shot at. It was consistent with the evidence found on the crime scene, and more importantly, if the wound matched the one on the body, then the suspect’s story could be proven wrong and an arrest confirmed.

He removes his goggles and ear plugs, ruffling the mussed bangs of his black hair back into place with a triumphant grin. Having printed out the results, Youngjae leaves the brilliant white confines of the ballistics lab and walks towards the thrum of voices and paperwork that belong to the offices of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Crime Lab.

  


“Hey Himchan _hyung_ , is Yongguk _hyung_ in there?” Youngjae calls out to one of the suited figures loitering around the head of the crime lab’s office.

“Yeah, he’s in there. Looks like someone’s happy today.” The raspy voiced investigator comments, tipping his cup of coffee—Americano, most definitely—in a gesture of greeting, before resuming conversation with his partner, Moon Jongup.

Youngjae nods, knuckles poised to knock on the wood paneled door before it swings open and nearly hits him in the face, causing him to jump.

“Himcha—Whoa, sorry there, Youngjae,” a deep voice and its owner emerges from behind the door.

“It’s fine. Reflexes.” Youngjae laughs it off, regaining his composure “Yongguk _hyung_ , I found out more about that Min Yoongi case, thought you’d might want to take a look at it first,” He hands over his results to Yongguk, explaining his theory about the bullet entry.

“Great work, Youngjae. Can you go find Daehyun in the morgue and compare the results of the bullet wound? Thanks,” The man pats Youngjae on the shoulder before motioning to Himchan and Jongup to speak with him.

Youngjae grimaces a little, and Jongup questions if he had eaten another lemon macaron before disappearing into the office behind a cackling Himchan.

Lemon macarons were gross in Youngjae’s opinion, they looked pretty but they were by far one of his most hated flavors on the macaron flavor spectrum, and they left a gross, sour taste in his mouth. 

Just like the person he had to present his findings to.

He heads down the dank corridor towards what he liked to call the “chamber of death”. The morgue was a literal chamber of death and chilly but what really gave him the chills was the sole inhabitant of the place, pathologist Jung Daehyun.

  


Youngjae had known Jung Daehyun since his days as an idealistic forensic science undergrad at university. Despite the latter being an older grad student, Youngjae had taken the same classes and research opportunities as him, since Youngjae had busted his ass in the accelerated program.

Jung Daehyun was renowned by the campus community as the hottest being in the pathology department. He was unquestionably attractive; with a face that cougar _noonas_ (and _ahjussis_ ) killed for and under aged hoes fell for. But not Yoo Youngjae, of course. 

To be quite honest he wasn’t a bad person. It’s just that the man was extremely annoying and perverted and the circumstances in which they’d first met hadn’t really rubbed Youngjae in the right way. It was actually sort of traumatic.

Nobody just walks up to you and tells you you have “the sexiest scapula they’ve ever seen” and proceed to blatantly grope your ass and shoulders. Apparently such restraint did not apply to Jung Daehyun. On the day Youngjae had to present his honors thesis, weary of the world and sleep-deprived to the point of exhaustion, the tanned glutton sauntered up to him and took his moment of weakness to harass him, just like that.

Youngjae remembers how he bit back a grin and may or may not have kicked him in the nuts.

“Feisty, just how I like ‘em,” Jung Daehyun had wheezed as he clutched his balls.

It hadn’t been a good first impression for Youngjae, but unfortunately since then, Jung Daehyun and his Casanova ass had made it a mission to follow Youngjae to the ends of South Korea and work at the same crime lab. 

Youngjae winces at the “fond” memory, steeling himself before opening the heavy metal door briskly to face the said man of his disdain.

  


“Youngjae!”

Jung Daehyun swivels around in his chair and ecstatically greets Youngjae with smiling eyes and a mouthful of club sandwich. _So_ attractive.

One of the many mysteries of the world that Youngjae could never put a finger on, and for some reason never ceased to be amazed by, was the fact that Daehyun could still be a great ball of sunshine somehow living a life of juxtaposition within such a depressing environment. But as they say, one does need to have a sense of humor to stay sane in this line of work.

“I don’t understand how you can eat in here. And why _do_ you keep eating in here? One day you’ll end up tainting the evidence,” he says, briskly.

“Baby, everyday is a lunch date with the dead. And I am a growing man, who is hungry. Would you like some?” He holds out the sandwich to Youngjae, who shakes his head vigorously. 

“Oh! Does this mean you’re here to tell me you finally agree on having that lunch with me?” Daehyun lurches forward excitedly in his chair, almost tipping over the mounds of paperwork on his desk.

“Eh, no…I have lunch plans with Junhong anyway,” Youngjae makes an impromptu sidestep.

“That pipsqueak from Toxicology? You have lunch with him but never with me, the gall. I know you like guns, hon. Honestly, do you not see _these_ guns?” Daehyun rolls up the sleeve of his lab coat cockily to display his arms. “I bet that lanky pipsqueak doesn’t even have any—”

“Actually, I’m here for a bullet—“ Youngjae says in an attempt to change the subject and make Daehyun re-clothe himself because he knows the pathologist will go on forever with his dumb courting strategies.

“Love bullets? I didn’t know you had aegyo in you but I’d sure love to see it—”

“Uh _no_ , I came here to talk about the bullet wound on body of Park Jimin,” Youngjae clears his throat loudly in annoyance at being interrupted for the umpteenth time.

“Oh,” Daehyun pouts , jutting out a lip and looking ridiculous for a man bordering thirty, dusting off some crumbs from his fingers as he stands up. “Business as usual for you, huh? Well I got the goods, come here,” he gestures for Youngjae to follow.

Youngjae lets out an exasperated sigh as he follows Daehyun further into the depths of the morgue, to one of the cool steel doors of the body vaults.

The pathologist traces a bronzed finger along the identification tags and slides open one of the vaults, pulling out a corpse draped in a thin sheet.

“Park Jimin,” Daehyun tuts a little in disappointment. “He had a pretty nice package,hm? A shame he wasn’t bulletproof.”

“That was unnecessary,” With a roll of his eyes, Youngjae hunches over the body to examine the bullet wound on the victim’s chest. “And stop checking out my ass.”

“Can’t expect me to stop now, been checking it out for years—“

“There’s a scalpel here, and I’m not afraid to use it,” Youngjae warns and Daehyun backs off with a nervous grin.

“Trauma…definitely trauma shattered the ribs,” Youngjae mumbles as he inspects the back area. 

“Clean exit, matches 9mm handgun wound. We can bag the suspect for sure if I get this to toxicology…what are you doing?” He hears Daehyun sighing dreamily and looks up to see batting lashes and chestnut brown eyes hovering dangerously close to his face.

“I love it when you’re so into the terminology, it’s pretty hot.”

“I…am going to take this to Yongguk,” Youngjae deadpans, walking away.

“Aww, don’t be like that, baby!” Daehyun whines behind him, carefully throwing the sheet over the body again before attempting to follow him.

There’s the sound of the morgue door opening in the midst of their banter, and Himchan pokes his head through the opening.

“Hey boys, stop flirting— we got a crime scene to go to. Homicide. Brutal. Bring your barf bags and get ready! Yongguk wants everyone to leave in a few.” 

Youngjae nods and steals a glance at Daehyun who is already easing out of his lab coat, giving him a wink.

  
\-----------

The crime lab van pulls up to the blazing lights of police cruisers parked in front of a local street, sealing off a portion of an alleyway.

“Everybody, gloves on,”

Yongguk sidles under the criss-crossed yellow tape, presenting himself to the officers on the scene and signaling the go-ahead for Daehyun, Youngjae and the others to press forward for the cleanup.

The scene is as gruesome as Himchan had said.

There are pale chunks of human remains strewn about the alleyway, near a rickety Dumpster, and Youngjae treads carefully as to not disturb the scene.

What Youngjae loved about being in ballistics was the fact that he could handle guns and bullets, generally inanimate and indirect forms of violence. The cold-blooded acts of violence humans could do to other humans without an aid of a gun disturbed him a lot more, and despite it being years since he was green rookie who puked out his guts at the sight of mutilated body, it’s still no less unsettling for him.

Faster than anyone, Daehyun begins to survey the area, noting the types of body parts scattered around the vicinity.

“Looks like there’s a trail left for us, starting with the arms,” he chirps, unfazed at the hunk of discolored arm he is gingerly wrapping in an evidence bag.

“Lovely,”

Youngjae still admires the fact that the pathologist has never flinched at the prospect of dead bodies, left in any way, shape, or condition, let alone work with them at close ranges day in and day out with a strong stomach. But of course, he would never let him know that.

He crouches at a yellow marker, examining for traces of gunshot residue near the dirty asphalt and taking pictures of the evidence with his camera. He looks around at the other markers, furrowing his brow when none of them contain a bullet.

“Jongup, can you move this?”

Nearby Himchan motions to his partner, who wordlessly nods and proceeds forward to push the heavy Dumpster out of the way with ease.

“Princess,” Daehyun sneers and Himchan threatens to kick him as he lowers a flashlight.

The movement uncovers more parts strewn amongst the mound of trash, and a plain suitcase nestled behind it. With deft fingers, the investigators unhook the latches of the suitcase and are accosted with a smell that makes them wince slightly.

“Damn. Found the torso—and the head; _Daehyun_ — you might want to take a look at this.” Himchan calls out, before adjusting his shades and looping himself over the yellow tape to join Yongguk in questioning one of the police witnesses. “Now, miss, you said that you heard…”

“Youngjae! Baby, there’s something for you,” Youngjae turns around from his position on the concrete to a waving Daehyun.

“What? This better be good,” he responds as he walks towards the Dumpster and situates himself next to the pathologist, trying to not look at—what he deems—a male severed head.

“Shot right through the heart,” Daehyun whistles, tracing a gloved finger over the dismembered torso to a bullet wound in the chest area.

Youngjae uses tweezers to pry at twinkling piece of metal lodged in the wound. The flesh gives and he pulls out an intact bullet, rotating it around to get a better view. 

“Interesting,”

There are various scratches on the bullet, but an engraving of a small heart and the letter “Y” is visible amongst the striations.

“Who engraves a bullet?”

“I don’t know. But, I want to find out back at the lab,” Youngjae says as he wraps the bullet up. 

“I’m with you on that,” Daehyun’s eyes form crescents as he smiles in his distinctly cute yet demented way, with body bags in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

“You can have the strawberry one,”

Youngjae sets the container of ice cream on the side, pulling out a vanilla flavored one for himself and digging in. He’s hanging out in Toxicology as usual, finishing up his lunch while waiting for Junhong’s chemical analysis on the bullet recovered from the dismemberment crime scene. 

“Thanks…your hands clean? Can you pass me the specimen? Gotta run it through the centrifuge,” Junhong instructs in a rapid burst of speech similar to that of the raps he usually listens to on the job. He drops the remnant of the bullet from the previous crime scene into the whirring machine, the blood and tissue separating immediately from the metal as it spins in solution. 

"You're the best."

Youngjae holds a soft spot for the dedication of the toxicology whiz—who apparently got his start by analyzing the adverse effects of chemicals in his many shades of hair dye— even if it means having the other bear the brunt of his venting daily. 

“You know, Daehyun _hyung_ ’s been giving me really… _salty_ looks as of late,” The curly haired toxicologist remarks as he turns to grab the frozen dessert from the desk. 

“And that’s my problem how?”

The sound of the centrifuge whirring is intermingled with the heavy raps of Eminem blaring in the background as they both eat their ice cream.

“Well, I honestly do think that you should try to talk to Daehyun _hyung_. I think he’s getting the wrong idea about our lunches together.” Junhong whispers the statement like he’s a housewife sharing potentially offensive gossip with a husband hovering over her shoulder.

“And what sort of ideas besides food, death, food and sex can that guy possibly have?” Youngjae nonchalantly spoons the rest of his ice cream in his mouth.

“I don’t know, plans for my murder?” Junhong sighs. “Youngjae _hyung_. It's not bullet science, but I’m starting think you’re just a _tad_ dense when it doesn’t involve ballistics,”

Youngjae prickles. He can detect sass from anywhere. And Junhong was definitely sassing him.

“Youngjae, leave the poor boy alone. I still need him in this lab.” Jieun pipes from the other side of the room, fanning a drug test strip in the air to catch their attention. “And Junhong, when you’re free can you turn your foreign music down? It’s overpowering my Ailee,”

“I do it out of brotherly love,” Youngjae insists to the neighboring toxicologist as he releases his chokehold on the younger. Junhong smoothes down his hair before picking the bullet out from the centrifuge, now clean and free of residue.

“Here, you can take this back to ballistics. I’ll run a comprehensive exam on the leftovers and tell you later.”

"How soon?"

"Give me a day, give or take, I'll see what I can do,"

"Thanks, my lovely genius, you.” Youngjae seals the bullet up and prepares to leave.

"You owe me another strawberry! It was pretty good," Junhong calls out from behind him.

\-----------

Youngjae finds himself out of it a few hours later in the ballistics lab, looking over the overwhelming lack of evidence regarding the bullet for the umpteenth time. He was able to confirm from the bullet markings that the gun was of the semi-automatic variety, though without the shell casing, gunpowder, or the actual gun it was all he had to go off of for now. 

Guns in Seoul are hard to come by with the recent crackdowns, but it doesn’t make identifying the guns that _do_ appear any easier. He could try running it through the database if only there was more info.

The only things standing out from the bullet are the chipped engravings. Youngjae squints at the markings under the light. 

A “Y” and a heart aren’t exactly unique, but not the most common things one would put on a bullet, if they decided to. The lettering was too neat to be carved on by hand. Such a type of personalized fare could be a rare hobby, or some sort of thing he could use to ID the model or gunman.

“Bullet engraving companies, Seoul…” Youngjae punches in the search and comes up with many different results. It’s apparently a thing, after all.

The sound of the door opening brings him out of his thoughts. 

“Youngjae _hyung_ , Yongguk _hyung_ wants to see you,” Jongup calls from the doorway, hands full of papers.

"Alright. Coming,"

Youngjae puts the bullet safely in storage before walking towards the offices but Jongup steers him the other direction. “He’s doing an autopsy with Daehyun _hyung_ ,”

“ _Hm_ ,” That was something he wanted to see. 

  


Youngjae only needs to round the corner to recognize Yongguk’s deep voice reverberating off the steel walls inside the room. He knocks before going in, catching the two men inside in the midst of autopsy examination.

“There are signs of strangulation first. The cut into the neck of course, slightly masks that, but the bruising around the vessels suggests otherwise. We should make a note of that as cause of death—Ah, Youngjae. Grab a pair of gloves and come join us, will you?”

Youngjae scoots in the space between the two men, watching with a form of glee as Daehyun struggles to keep himself professional in the presence of the head of the crime lab. 

Yongguk periodically dips his hands in Daehyun’s autopsies either when cases get busy or he finds a case particularly suspicious, though it’s usually the latter. The pathologist is like a different man altogether when the older man is around, strangely quiet and diligent, maybe even flustered compared to his noisy, lecherous self.

“So,” Youngjae interrupts, eyeing the assembled parts laid out on the table. “Could you guys fill me in?”

Daehyun mutters some innuendo under his breath before composing himself when Yongguk speaks. “Daehyun and I have been singling out the victim’s cause of death to be strangulation,”

“You see—livor mortis…signs of the blood pooling on the undersides shows us that the victim was dead for a while before being dismembered.” He continues, pointing to the blueish discoloration at the base of the body parts and the lacerations that follow.

“What about the bullet wound to the heart then?”

“Now this is where we need your expertise. The gunshot occurred after death, maybe even after dismemberment. There’s a bit of residue in the chest that we haven’t touched.”There’s a ring of gunpowder and singed edges prominent amongst waxy skin.

“A bullet to the heart postmortem…” A sudden idea hits Youngjae. He backs up and pretends to shoot at the chest. He comes forward again, but aims his air gun closer.

“This is what I needed to see. The abrasion ring here means the vic was shot at a close range; I’ve found these engravings on the bullet though, I don’t know what purpose it would serve.”

"Either bad aim or our gunman didn't want to miss. I’ve got Hana on ID-ing our John Doe here, but the overkill definitely raises red flags, regardless of who the victim is,” Yongguk wraps up, disposing of his gloves. "Daehyun, keep on checking for anything we might've missed. Youngjae, I want to take a look at those engravings."

"Of course,"

"Thanks. You two keep an eye on this case for now." With a nod the tall figure exits, leaving Youngjae with a pile of limbs and a pathologist.

“Well, I think I’ve just popped a 207th bone in my body from your ballistics prowess,” Daehyun remarks, breaking the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to be quicker about these from now on...
> 
> /the tags are attempt at humor for a reason omg. Maybe I should add dialogue heavy too.
> 
> //on another note, finished with finals and moving out...I'm sending my prayers and hoping I passed q-q


	3. Chapter 3

“Keep it intact,”

“I’m not sure about this one, it’s going to be a doozy,”

Daehyun huffs at the effort of scouring through piles of waterlogged clothing from the trash bag Himchan hands to to him for human remains. There are about four to so five so far, strewn about the riverbank and the group of CSIs are still working on hauling up more of the deteriorated plastic bags onto the riverbank. A small crew of investigators, including Jongup, have been diving into the Han River to scour for more evidence of possible bags.

Youngjae yawns at the sight of the bickering duo, focusing on his own work of preserving a single bullet that had been amidst the body parts and other trash. His past hour of sifting had resulted in a glistening shell surprisingly still intact. It's wet and he's wondering if the casing could make it to the lab in time if he kept it with a small sample of water. The outdoor suit he has on is stiff against his skin as he goes about his work.

A call from a wandering couple had reported strange bags washed up on the riverbank, filled with mostly trash and upon closer inspection, human limbs. It wasn't unusual for forensics investigators to be on call, weekends and holidays forgoed, and as much as he loved his job he preferred not to see gruesome scenes at ungodly hours of the morning when he could be having precious sleep. It was the second time this week that he's been called out to a case with sparse bullets and lots of body parts. Still, Youngjae's relieved that the bags were mostly old clothes and trash, and not all filled with bodies. But it could be too early to tell if the bags had come from upstream or that this park had served as someone's dumping ground.

"The decomp's already happening too." Daehyun whines on in earshot.

"Well, if you'd have arrived here sooner maybe it'd improve our chances of preservation," Himchan coughs from the stench wafting their way, monitoring the Klieg lights over the water to track Jongup's progress in the water. 

“ _Well_ , this job cost me a lay so I’ve made great sacrifices to come here already.” Daehyun snorts, maintaining precision in sealing up the rapidly decomposing limbs. 

“You? Getting laid?” Himchan scoffs.

"The girl I had a drink with last night was pretty enthusiastic on my views of necrophilia," Daehyun states matter-of-factly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him . "What's so surprising about it? What can I say, I work as hard as I play. In fact--"

“Oh god, no one wants to hear your story about the 'busload of bitches' you had back in Busan, ” Youngjae interjects, knowing the scandalous direction the conversation would unfold like the countless times before. It was too early for the pathologist's shenanigans.

"You were listening? I wouldn't mind it if you gave me a hand then," Daehyun yells sweetly to Youngjae. It seems he wasn't quite far enough from the vicinity for Daehyun's latest rendition of aegyo.

"Too bad, not in my job description," Youngjae deflects as he sifts through more trash and other articles of clothing, some so waterlogged he thinks examining for residue might be futile.

"He got you there, Daehyun. Do your work like you're supposed to and stop flirting--" 

Youngjae takes the chance to relocate towards the edge of the scene. He could feel something was familiar about this crime scene, though he wasn't really sure what it was. Maybe it was because he had been to this park in the past during his teenage years. Or maybe it was the fact that the last time he got called out from the lab it was for a dismemberment case too, with the firearm in question missing from the scene. He wrinkled his nose in thought. 

“Oh. What happened here?”

Youngjae jumps a bit at the voice in front of him. A young man in a black snapback carrying a few bags stands in his line of sight, shrouded by 4 am darkness. As charming as he may be, Youngjae is more concerned for the contamination of evidence. Curious onlookers, even police officers who lingered in the wrong places, were usually driven away by a barking Himchan in fear of tampering with evidence. Youngjae's relieved at least the stranger steers clear of the yellow-taped boundary. At least he's not some sort of stringer, insisting on footage. 

“This is a crime scene. Off limits, sir. I’m going to to have to ask you to leave,” 

“I guess I’ll have to go the long way to home then.” the man pulls the turtleneck over his chin, flashing an amiable smile. "Long night?"

“Well, it’s been a long night for all of us, sir.”

"Night shifts always blow, regardless of occupation, I guess. Have a good morning." The man says as he abruptly resumes his stroll around the main path. The conversation was certainly short and perturbing.

A piece of paper gets blown towards the water and Youngjae manages to catch it before it falls in. It’s a movie pass for a theatre in Yeouido.

"Man oh man, I wish I could get some food right now. I'm done with the collection. You hungry, baby?" Daehyun brushes up suddenly next to Youngjae, chewing some unknown gum with a loud smack of his lips. " I've cleared all the evidence I need to get back to the lab. Maybe you and I could grab a quick bite beforehand." 

"Is it possible for you to not have your mouth occupied all the time by food?" Youngjae raises a brow at Daehyun's gesture towards helping him clean up. 

"If you're jealous, I always have room to accommodate you, hon."

"Don't you have a lay waiting for you back home?" he accepts the offer begrudgingly and starts gathering up sensitive material.

"That's not important when I could have _you_ waiting for me to take you out to breakfast. And a coffee you really need." Daehyun smiles, tying up the bag Youngjae has affectionately.

"I'm not Himchan hyung," 

"Did I hear my name and some mention of coffee?" The investigator pipes in, with a wetsuited Jongup in tow.

"Are you paying for breakfast, Daehyun _hyung_?"

"Hey, I only asked Youngjae..."

Youngjae shakes his head at the heat Daehyun's getting and remembers the pass still clenched in his hand. He turns to see that the passerby from earlier was gone, most likely long gone from Daehyun's distraction, and pockets it with a shrug. He could use a good movie on the off chance he had a break.

\-----------

Back at the lab, Youngjae feels infinitely better being out of the stiff suit he had to wear at the riverbank. Of course free breakfast and warm, sweetened, coffee from Daehyun's weeping wallet did a lot to ease his fatigue. A convenient text from Junhong gives Youngjae the excuse to evade Daehyun's further advances and dodge back into Toxicology.

"Rough day, I heard." Junhong remarks. His hair color of choice today is a shocking shade of pink.

" I should've signed up for less field work. Nice hair."

"Good thing I have an express order for my favorite hyung," The curly haired toxicologist gives a mischievous grin in response.

"What've you got for me, Junhong?" .

"From the patient's blood and flesh we've got high alcohol content, rohypnol, and GHB--the classic date-rape scenario. But, a couple of other interesting things were also present in the solution besides this. Traces of pig's blood, metallic residue, and a mixture of different kinds of propellant and gunpowder that I'm sure you can identify," Junhong says, handing him the spreadsheet.

"That...is interesting. Well, I got two more bullets for analysis. I hate to ask you for another analysis but I'll pay you back two strawberry icecreams. I know you were wondering about that." Youngjae praises, excited to get back to ballistics for the final ID.

"Sure thing, hyung. Just let me know when you need 'em."

  


Over the course of a few hours clicking away at the database, Youngjae was able to identify the mystery propellants Junhong had described as polymeric materials common to shooting ranges. The coffee from earlier was already easing out of his system, making him enthusiastic for an early return home.

There were a few other cases that he had lined up. Some were transferred here from other provinces. One from an accidental murder involving a hunter, another involving drug informants, and the one from the other unidentified dismembered body; the list went on. Youngjae sighs, deciding to bag the latest specimens and take them back to the lab. As he gingerly separates the bullets from the watery bag, the light catches on the bullets in a way he hadn't noticed before at the dark riverbank. Though a little washed out, upon further inspection there's a little indentation in the two bullets. Youngjae pulls a magnifying glass from the drawer and gets a closer look. The carvings are faint on the metal but enough to stand out from the surface. A letter "O" on first bullet. A letter "U" on the second.

"Oh,"

A thought strikes Youngjae and he immediately flips through the case files he was looking at moments prior, digging the bag from the first crime scene up. Aligning that bullet with the two others, it spelled one word:

_Y-O-U_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAP IS COMING BACK ;U;  
> sorry everyone for the short/super late update! school started and I'm also working on a small games [project](http://devblog.crownlunacy.com/) with a friend. 
> 
> Regardless I'll make more time to finish all my fics though, however slow I may be. This is slowly picking up ouob


	4. Chapter 4

"You know, Youngjae. It's been a few years since we've met, and I realize that despite my sexiness and all that, I'm not winning you over." Daehyun's gaze is intense and everything serious.

"Daehyun--" Youngjae breathes.

"I mean, I do have my insecurities...but let's face it, I'm _undeniably_ hot and irresistible--"

" _Daehyun_ \--"

"Are you actually straight? Not that it matters, but I need to know now." 

“You _do_ realize I'm here, right?" Himchan clears his throat, annoyed. Youngjae's been working with him long enough to know the tics. It meant that the coffee machine left in the break room wasn't doing its job, and the investigator was not pleased. "There's only so much questionable flirting I can tolerate on decaf. It might be understandable in this line of work, but have a little decency and take your date somewhere else."

The displeased coroner turns towards Youngjae with a frown. "Yeah, why is he here anyway? I thought this was going to be a date between just the two of us. I mean, I tidied the place up, prepared these cookies--"

"You prepared cookies." Youngjae asks, incredulous.

"They were chocolate. I ate them behind your back out of sheer disappointment." Daehyun sniffs, combing a hand through what Youngjae notices to be carefully styled hair. "I stress eat, you know."

"Seeing as I'm the _only_ one certified in Trace, it's a given, unfortunately." Himchan laments, pulling a fiber sample from fabrics he'd retrieved at a home invasion case. "It's not like I want to deal with you either, manchild."

"I never signed up for any of this. I just came to see the bodies we picked up at the riverbank." Youngjae sighs, rubbing his hands together. It's cold in the morgue. "I'm running on a theory, with ballistics evidence that might be trivial, at most..."

_Y-O-U_

It could mean many things, really. 

Youngjae rather liked the simple life, if days holed up in the lab doing the daily grind meant anything. But he hadn't ever expected the possibility in being placed at the forefront of an investigation. Guns almost always were linked to violent crime, he knew that. His discovery yesterday had still bothered him to no end, and he had spent an exhausting night trying to decipher what the letters on the bullets might mean. Maybe there was no message at all--just random serial lettering that might indicate the same bullet manufacturer--but the feeling in Youngjae's gut told him he couldn't rule this out as just a coincidence.

"...On the grounds of proposing a serial murder case, I thought it necessary to review the autopsies for a possible MO." he concludes, describing his findings to Himchan and a Daehyun preoccupied with the jar of lollipops he kept on the top shelf of the records drawer.

"So you think we're looking at a serial killer?" Himchan sets down the fabric, a piece of obnoxious neon snakeprint, that he had been poring over earlier. "One leaving messages on bullets?"

"It sounds to me like you've got a case, baby." Daehyun hums around the lollipop in his mouth, snapping on freshly powdered latex gloves. Meanwhile, Himchan frowns. 

" I'm not saying it's wrong of you to be eager to solve the case, but I've had my fair share of years grounding down that gung-ho head of our crime lab. We have to have a good basis to go off of if we're going to proclaim the existence of a serial killer, wherein Seoul hasn't seen one in years. I can only think of the Hwaseong murders, but that was decades ago." Himchan murmurs, deep in thought. "Yikes. I wasn't even born then, and that's saying something."

 "Yeah, it's saying you're an old fart."

Despite Himchan being the same age as Yongguk and an authoritative figure in the crime lab, Daehyun obviously has no qualms in being his natural, unpleasant self to the investigator. It's surely not as amusing of a sight for Youngjae to see, but he'd have to put up with their extended bickering for now. He needed professional advice, preferably without ending up sexually harassed and out of a job. He doesn't think his parents back in Uijeongbu are quite ready to have him back.

"Like you're any better. Honestly, I think the only person that can put up with you is Taehyung, bless the kid. Why can't he be here instead of you?" Himchan retorts, referring to Daehyun's newest deputy coroner, a gangly kid with bushy eyebrows whom Daehyun's been mentoring in the art of being a nuisance.

"Yeah? He's out front returning personal effects to a family. " Daehyun praises. "Kid doesn't sleep, and he's fascinated with the stuff. Can't wait 'till he's certified."

Youngjae's dissociating the hardest he can as Daehyun wheels out the bodies. The coroner's made a good effort of piecing them back together, the parts disjointed but still identifiable as two males in their 20s. 

"On the bright side, the actual body parts weren't submerged in water. Otherwise, I think we'd all smell like shit. And believe me, it's real hard to get laid when you're smelling like shit." Daehyun warns, stealing a glance at Youngjae. "Wouldn't want that to happen to you, pretty thing."

"Yeah. Thanks for the life advice." Youngjae focuses intently on the stitched up incisions from autopsy instead of the uncovered faces. Somewhere in the distance, Himchan gags.

"Just a note," Daehyun stops to rearrange a leg. "Our friends here are missing some parts. I'm talking a hand and...some fingers."

"That's really common for gang-related killings. They cut off the hands of thieves and liars, from what I've seen in the past." the investigator pitches in as he takes his place next to Youngjae. "You'd be surprised at how many of those hands are kept as trophies. Must've been the same for these two if even Jongup personally couldn't find them at the bottom of the riverbank."

"Let me enlighten you two with what I know. The dismembering occurred after death; livor mortis doesn't lie. The jagged edges in the cuts tell me hacksaw--a real poor job of it."

Youngjae leans in for a closer look at the signs of bruising on the body. "What about strangulation?" he asks the coroner.

"You mean cause of death for these two? Gunshot wound to the head." Studying Youngjae's confused look, he elaborates.

"The damaged brain tissue suggests they both went straight through, far as I could tell." Daehyun rotates a head. "Have a look-see,"

He was right. It appears as if the bullet had gone straight through, which explains how the two bullets they found might've ended up at the bottom of the trash bags.

"What are you looking for?" Himchan asks.

"The other body preceding these two had strangulation as the cause. That body was dismembered, and..." Youngjae leans forward. " _No way,_ "

Disappointedly, there are no wounds on the chest cavities of both bodies. No bullet in the heart. There's slight discoloration, maybe the beginnings of scratches on the pectorals where the heart was, but ultimately no bullet wounds here like the previous one.

“I extracted a bullet from a close-proximity gunshot wound to the heart of the first supposed victim.” Youngjae clarifies. “I suspected I would find similar wounds to the heart, but these two don’t have any of that weird stuff. They're just plain dismembered.”

"What are they? A hopeless romantic?" Himchan scoffs, crossing his arms in thought.  "Under these circumstances, I think it'd be wise to look for a signature instead of the MO."

"That was the signature I was looking for. A 9mm shot into the heart post-mortem, while the victim was killed through other means. Overkill wouldn't be a modus operandi, but some sort of fulfillment of a personal grudge," The fact that the evidence doesn't match up deepens the furrow in Youngjae's brow. "Great. The evidence doesn't match up." 

"But the evidence doesn't lie. I hate to tell you this, but it's possible that these bodies _aren't_ related to your previous body," Himchan admits. "Opinions, Daehyun?"

Daehyun rests his elbows on the steel table in thought. " I did do the autopsy with Yongguk-hyung, but I'll have to admit that the COD and everything are different. Sorry, baby."

"It's fine, guys. I'll look more into the actual ballistics evidence in the mean time. Thanks for hearing me out," Youngjae nods. He was so sure that he'd been going in the right direction, but the discrepancies were too glaring. He disliked being wrong, but he'd relent, just for tonight.

"Hey, Youngjae. It was a good try. If it was that easy to make all the puzzle pieces fit and make sense, then Seoul wouldn't need us, right?" The investigator flashes a rugged grin, patting Youngjae hard on the back.“ You’ve been really thorough and detailed, which is something we can always count on you for. Why don’t you rest up?”

"I suppose. It wouldn't hurt to look at this with fresh eyes."

“ _I’ll_ rest up too.”

“Daehyun, you on the other hand need to be a bit more detailed. Plus you're still on duty." Himchan reprimands. 

"Ah, shoot. Forgot I'm working graveyard today," Daehyun complains wistfully.

The resident pathologist worked the swing shift like Youngjae, though most days he had to pull off graveyard due to the various reasons death occurs. There were far more bodies cropping up than bullets; more mortuaries calling for their corpses. He has yet to see a drowsy Daehyun--he always was annoyingly chipper. Youngjae was far from a morning person, but there was no way in hell he could pull off the graveyard shift like Himchan or Jongup. No wonder the former couldn't stay conscious without coffee.

"Sleep is for the dead, yeah? Well I'll head up front and see if Jongup's back from the coffee run. Going to need it if I'm stuck with Romeo the rest of the night." Youngjae gets another pat on the shoulder and Daehyun sticks his tongue out at Himchan's retreating back.

The room quiet, Youngjae busies himself with washing up his hands in the sink, thankful nothing was clogged in the drain. The first time he used it he had the misfortune of witnessing a piece of cadaver lodged in the pipe.

Daehyun pulls off his gloves with a resounding snap.

"So, we're finally alone."

"Don't even think about it, perv." Youngjae dismisses, stepping away to dry his hands before the other could press up against him.

"All the sass I deal with everyday, you'd think I'm becoming a masochist," Daehyun laughs. "Want to reschedule our date? Valentine's is coming soon."

"We've never had one to begin with. I never agreed on anything."

"Harsh as always. I dig that." Daehyun lathers up his hands generously with his cheesecake-scented sanitizer. "You've never answered my other question, you know."

"What question?"

"You know, baby. About your sexuality,"

"None of your business," Youngjae simpers, stepping in front of the morgue's entrance. "I'm going home, if you don't mind."

"Hey, before you go, I wanted you to have something."

"I saved the best for you," Daehyun whispers into Youngjae's ear, and it makes Youngjae shiver unintentionally before confusedly looking at a bag of cookies is dropped into his palm. The pathologist just smiles cheekily and Youngjae feels a heat in his cheeks. Curse that deliciously smelling sanitizer. "I look forward to our next dates. Come visit me soon."

He just doesn't understand Jung Daehyun sometimes.

Youngjae passes by his work locker to pick up a few things before clocking out. As usual he stumbles upon a fresh arrangement of magnets spelling out "Property of Jung Daehyun". It's about time to change the combination of his locker again. He's surprised Daehyun had managed to find out the date of his first prostate exam but he'll have to do better this time. He'll have to ask Yongguk about his last exam before he files a restraining order.

He studies the small bag of delicious looking cookies and debates on tossing them. He wasn't sure if he wanted to taste anything that came from the morgue but he is at least confident that Daehyun didn't lace them with anything. The pathologist wouldn't stoop that low, and to be truthful, he didn't have the capability of being that crafty. There's a shuffling sound and Youngjae hears a stiff greeting from behind, promptly shoving the cookies into his bag.

"Hey, Hyunwoo."

Hyunwoo worked the graveyard shift of the ballistics lab. The stocky man had trained with Youngjae in the past but due to the nature of their schedules he doesn't see the man often.

"We got a few fragments that came in from the last dispatch, want me to work on the fingerprinting tonight, Youngjae?" Hyunwoo offers, pulling on his work uniform.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I got some evidence I need to sort out regarding the dismemberment cases. I'll work on it tomorrow, so you can set it aside for now," Youngjae tries not to focus on his colleague's abs as he changes out of his own work clothes and tosses on a looser-fitting shirt.

"Sure thing, I'll take care of it. Have a good night." Hyunwoo gives a small wave before disappearing out of the locker room.

As he hangs his work clothes, something flutters out of the pocket onto the floor. He reaches to pick it up, seeing that it was the movie pass he had picked up from back at the riverbank. It actually expires today. Yeouido was on the subway home, and he thinks he might as well not let it go to waste. He was off rotation duty for once, and despite the scares of the serial murder case he didn't want it to encompass all of his life. He hadn't seen a good movie in a while, to be quite honest.

Youngjae thinks of texting Junhong to see if he's off, when he opens his inbox to see that the toxicologist had already messaged him of his plans to do emergency care on his fading roots. He chuckles a bit to himself, writing a reply back. In his inbox he sees a text from most likely some weird Valentine's scam, dismissing it as spam and deleting it.

\-----------

Youngjae follows the motions to get his ticket and seating, deciding on ditching the popcorn. He had debated for a while whether the new spy film was worth seeing for the guns and gadgets but ultimately he was feeling a little sentimental, choosing to watch a special midnight showing of one of his favorite classics called _Sunny_.

He had watched it many times in the past, on particularly lonely nights in his apartment armed with ice cream and blankets, but the ending had always gotten to him. Rarely did movies end up making him tear up. What Junhong says about him being heartless was a lie. Youngjae partakes in the cookies that he had inadvertently snuck in with his bag, and find them to be actually _decent_. As he munches on his last sugar cookie during the credits roll, Youngjae actually finds himself wondering what movies Daehyun would like. He thinks that the pathologist would be the type to get emotional during some sappy romcom.

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

Youngjae snaps out of his reverie to see the cinema's usher standing before him, a broom and large trash can in tow.

"Oh, you're--" Youngjae recognizes the youthful face as the man he had spoken briefly to at the riverbank.

"Jinyoung," the cinema staff says with a smile, forehead poking out from the bangs he sweeps aside. "You were part of the police crew at the riverbank that one night, right?"

"Yeah. We had a pretty bad case there. You dropped your movie pass, but I didn't know where you went so I sort of...used it. Sorry if you were missing it."

"Oh that? It's fine, I get them all the time. Perks of having this job," Jinyoung smiles sheepishly. "Glad it came of good use. _Sunny_ 's a good movie."

Youngjae gets up from his seat so Jinyoung can sweep, noting the heaviness of the trash can and feeling for the man having to clean up after other messier moviegoers. The two make casual conversation in dim light, the last ending theme playing in the background.

"Shoot, I have to get to my next job,"

"You have another job?" Youngjae checks the time. It was almost three in the morning.

"I'm juggling around three jobs to make ends meet, so to speak." The usher laughs, no hint of exhaustion in his voice whatsoever. "My next gig's at the 24-hour barbecue restaurant down the block, if you're ever interested, or hungry, sir...?"

"Youngjae."

"Youngjae. Thank you for coming," The man requires a small effort in trying to tug the trash can on its trolley. After he does so, he flashes a warm smile to Youngjae. "I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

Youngjae stretches his limbs and feels ready for his comfy bed at home. He makes his way to the exit sleepily. On the ride home he slumps in the plastic seating, pushing away thoughts of work and a possible case looming in the forefront of his mind. He had made an acquaintance and a potential friend, he supposes, which isn't all that bad.

What is bad though, is when he's roused in his sleep around an hour later by Yongguk barking at the end of the receiver to get to another crime scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the super late update. I had planned on finishing this last week but midterms have been coming one after the other and I almost got ran over by a skateboarder :( good thing not on the way to Doc Jung. Not an especially romantic fic for daejae on Valentine' but it will have to do.
> 
> But all that aside, I've been trying to create a better mood for the story. 
> 
> here's a small [graphic/cover](http://lunacrowne.tumblr.com/post/138375159757/while-working-on-a-chapter-today-i-ended-up-having) for the story!
> 
> A playlist is in the works though sadly not on 8tracks. I've been feeling like Bang x2 has a lot of the CSI theme song vibe to it.


	5. Chapter 5

"Watch your step,"

Himchan slides the van door closed with a low _thunk_. Youngjae does as told, unloading an extra evidence kit from the trunk before joining the older investigator en route to their newest scene. Yongguk had sent out a dispatch request earlier for all available personnel in the vicinity regarding a dismemberment case, but the details weren't fully established. It had been emphasized as crucial that they get to the scene immediately; thankfully hitching a ride with Himchan had expedited the commute. He had been roused from his sleep yet again, but fair enough, he had to be flexible for the job. If Himchan's faring day shift then he can too. A double shot of espresso thankfully had been sufficient in keeping him alert enough to function.

" Valentine's Day. It's about that time of year for crimes of passion, don't you think?" Himchan remarks, adjusting his tie with a gloved hand while walking. "Expecting any chocolate?"

Youngjae shakes his head. His earliest memories of Valentine’s Day consist of friendship chocolate from the one girl that gave all her sweetless male classmates some, and of pity chocolate he had been showered with when his ex cheated on him in high school. Valentine’s had never really been an extravagant affair for him after he had discovered he liked men—it was White Day that held more significance, not that he had a particularly thrilling love life to begin with. "Nope. Bet you're expecting some, hyung."

"That would be me when I was still in school. Now it's three years since I've resigned myself to the company of expensive wine and luxury handbags, “ 

“Doesn't sound like a bad idea. Though I don’t think I’d be able to pull of St. Laurent as well as you,” Youngjae only had a Louis Vuitton belt to his name, but that costed something like a month's paycheck. The older man was sharp in his dress despite the occasions they found themselves in, the origin of how he upholds his luxurious lifestyle a mystery.

“…Or three years that you have continuously ousted our resident pathologist’s affections. I wonder if it'll be the same this year.” Himchan offers Youngjae a wry smile at this.

“Does the whole lab have to pry in what I do with my personal life?” Youngjae scoffs in disbelief, nearly stopping in his tracks. Word traveled fast in the lab, and there was always that bit of nosiness you’d expect from coworkers everywhere, he supposed. It shouldn't be a huge surprise if the certain pathologist himself had played a part in this.

“No, but no one can exactly ignore the obvious tension between you two. Especially when they're betting a portion of their salary on it,” Himchan guffaws. “You weren’t supposed to know about that bit though.”

“I can't believe everyone,” Youngjae couldn't have imagined that they were betting on his love life, of all things. " _Please_. He's obnoxious, crass--"

"Oh, believe me, I know. The whole lab knows. We haven't exactly been the quietest lab since he transferred all the way from Busan Metropolitan," Himchan says, nonchalantly. "Wonder if anything can be done about that."

"You're getting a large slice of the profits, aren't you, hyung?" Youngjae eyes him skeptically, questioning the sort of underlying motive he would have for bringing up Daehyun. "Might want to save your sentiments for the cushy desk job instead."

"Sharp as always. Anyways, we're here."

Secret Chocolatiers was a one of the higher-end confectionery chain stores in this district. On any regular day a plethora of girls would be swarming the cutesy store, but instead it's surrounded by yellow tape and the presence of law enforcement vehicles. They present their IDs for clearance by the officers on duty, and Yongguk strides up past the yellow tape to receive them.

“Thanks for making it,” The head investigator greets, voice low and frazzled. The remnants of a five o’ clock shadow are apparent on his tired face. 

“My god, take care of yourself Yongguk,” Himchan admonishes. It's instant and natural for Himchan to speak his mind to Yongguk like this, especially when it warrants his disapproval.

Yongguk merely rolls his eyes in acknowledgement, a habit made half out of fondness and half defense mechanism against the nagging fits Himchan throws his way. He turns to Youngjae apologetically. "You might be disappointed that there's no bullets. It doesn’t look like a shooting and I know it's not your shift, but Seyong’s wife just went into labor and we’re a little short on manpower as it is, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, hyung, it's fine. The case is more important.” Youngjae assures. He's had more field work experience under his belt compared to the average lab tech. It wasn’t like he had plans other than lounging in his sweats binge-watching dramas inside of his apartment before his actual shift.

“We’ll make sure it counts for your overtime. Daehyun’s had some matters come up himself, so I’ll be taking over processing our vic today. Though we’re mostly going to be focusing on the scene sketch,”

“Daehyun's had something come up?” Youngjae’s used to seeing the pathologist at pretty much every major scene. No vacations ever stopped him, making Youngjae curious as to what exactly could've happened to prevent the pathologist's arrival.

"Looks like we'll be having a quiet scene today." Yongguk nods, ushering them in quickly when he notices a crowd building up. They take to following Yongguk inside the store as he debriefs them. “I’d call it a dismemberment we’ve got here, though it’s pretty bizarre compared to what we’ve seen so far."

“Pretty wild stunt. To have this type of thing happen at a major chocolatier’s out in the heart of Myeongdong, visible from the street—” Himchan mutters, observing the blackout curtains draped over previously clear windows. "The media's going to have a field day."

"They already have. The cashiers say that it was Valentine’s rush as usual, women coming in to buy some last minute chocolate for gifts. Two buyers started having a scuffle over the last box of...Ferrero Rochers. They knocked over this display right here… and let’s just say these boxes weren’t filled with chocolate.”

“They aren’t kidding with the Ferreros,” Himchan makes a face, stepping gingerly over the fallen chocolate. “The most civilized of women can turn savage because of these. My sister especially.”

“Is this all of it?” Youngjae asks, glancing at the toppled display and overturned boxes.

“No, the body parts themselves have been shipped off to the morgue in the interest of preserving them,” Yongguk begins explaining, handing them a file of preliminary pictures. "Heavy decomposition already began you see. Sorry I didn't mention it."

"Ugh. Leave it to Jongup to handle the creepy crawlies. _I'm_ going to go get my luminol."

Yongguk shrugs at Himchan's retreating form. “Fighting girls were cleared earlier, store manager’s over there undertaking questioning by Gunwoo. Jongup's still over in the corner with the specimens, if you don't mind documenting for him.”

The man leaving Youngjae to his own devices, he starts thumbing through pictures facing a particular anxiety. Heavy decomp usually meant that the remains were rife with maggots, an experience he'd rather go without. Sometimes, there are those scenes that are just so... _sick_ that they look utterly staged. Except, they're real. Discolored body parts, which he makes out as male, are shown stuffed inside a deluxe-sized chocolate box, each appendage accounted for. Once he gets the gist of it, Youngjae sets the pictures down for Himchan to take a look at when he returns. He looks for Jongup as suggested though, pulling on a mask for precaution and taking a camera with him.

"Hey,"

He finds Jongup hunched over a large velvet box in the corner with a pair of forceps, sparing Youngjae a friendly glance in greeting behind the surgical mask he's donned. 

"What can you tell from those?" Youngjae speaks muffled through the material of his own mask. He tries not to peek too much over the sandy-haired man's shoulder and accidentally _see_ the maggots. They were ugly things.

"We're fresh. Probably only 24 hours in." he says, prying a writhing sample from what appears to be a robust colony and examining it thoroughly before placing it in a glass vial.

Jongup had taken on side credentials in forensic entomology, and found an affinity for it much like Himchan had with trace evidence. But really, his knack for determining time of death through various species of blowfly had proved not only valuable on many cases but solidified his position as a well-rounded CSI. How absolutely _calm_ Jongup could be around larvae of all things still freaked Youngjae out. Himchan's voiced his concerns more than once about the docile young man attempting to speak with said insects.

“I’ve been looking at this for a while.” Jongup begins, making the motions to wipe the sweat off his thin brow. “Hyung, you've seen the photos, right? There’s something oddly _affectionate_ about the way this was arranged. Like they handled it with care, you know?”

“Affectionate wouldn’t be the first term I’d use for stuffing body parts into a chocolate box,” Youngjae responds dubiously. He snaps a few pictures. "It's one creepy gift."

"A creepy gift is nonetheless, a gift." the CSI creases his brow in thought. "If this was supposed to be warning, aren't there plenty of other ways to deliver the message without being so meticulous? Like throw the parts in front of the store or something."

"So a stalker gift then. Well, can we confirm that this is where the crime took place?"

"Hopefully these little guys can give us the answer." Jongup supplies, gloved hands handling the vial he's studying with care.

"Great. Can I spray them now?" Himchan asks, settling in behind the two with the luminol. "There's little to no trace I can find. Looking through this mess it's actually very clean. No blood."

"Be my guest, hyung. "

Himchan promptly sprays the chemical evenly around the darkened area. They're waiting for anything to glow that telltale bright blue, but nothing shows up.

"The crime didn't take place in here," Youngjae observes.

“No signs of forced entry either. I think we ought to have a talk with the manager. Gunwoo says she's been insisting someone stole her master key and that they're probably the culprit." Himchan nods. 

“Okay. So I met this guy at the bar. He was a real smooth guy. Asked me out to the movies and maybe I... slept with him alright? I’m a hundred percent sure he stole the keys to the store," The store manager is a pretty woman with a name tag reading _Youngji_ on it. She bites her lip in noticeable frustration as she goes through the questioning, wringing her hands over the glass counter of chocolate assortments. Youngjae notices some displacement with the advertisement flyers and decides to take photos while Himchan continues on.

"Do you have a name? An idea for how he might've gotten in aside from your shipments?"

“I don't know his name...I know, uh, he was definitely a foreigner."

Youngjae shares a glance with Himchan. "That's no good. If he's a tourist then we might not have any detail on him."

"But you guys can find him, right?” the manager presses.

“If he may be involved in this case, but if not...I ’m afraid that part of the investigation is not within our jurisdiction then. It’s more of a matter for the police.”

"Oh, and before we go," Himchan adds, "mind if we get a swab, miss?"

\-----------

“Want a chocolate?” Junhong offers from a cute box of chocolates he has in his hands.

“Oh man, I think I've seen enough chocolate for one day. No thanks. “ Youngjae mumbles into the crook of his elbows tiredly. "It's just been a weird day."

“Tell me about it. I’ve been analyzing semen samples the whole day. Who knew sperm could look so freaky.”

"There was like, this one cool Pokemon that looked like sperm, if that helps." Jongup provides. Junhong exchanges a fist bump with Jongup before taking the paper cup of Nesquik the other hands him from his coffee tray holder. Both young men seem determined to get into a sugar high with the help of milk chocolate truffles and ganache.

Youngjae watches them snack as they wait for the chromatography analysis to finish running on Jongup's acquired specimens. “Where did you get that chocolate anyway? Don't tell me it was Yoonsun from Profiling?”

“No, no hyung. She's cute and all, but no. I got it from Jieun noona. She kinda dumped all of this on me. Mumbled something about not having the courage to give it to 'him', whoever he is."

"Wow, I never knew that there was someone in her life,”

The toxicologist shrugs at Jongup. "By the way Jongup hyung, it looks like phase two of this thing is going to take longer."

"Really? Well I guess send me the results too. Himchan hyung's expecting his coffee, and I still have to pick up some effects from Daehyun hyung." His work is always cut out for him, what with being a working professional and a glorified coffee boy at the same time.

"How do you even put up with those two, Jongup?"

“Himchan hyung's going to die if this coffee is one degree colder than it should be." Jongup says gravely as if weighing the repercussions." Daehyun hyung's been looking kind of down today, so. I have a coffee for him too."

"He's been quiet, huh?" How the pathologist didn't show up to today's scene crosses Youngjae's mind again.

Jongup checks his watch, gathering up the coffee tray with a little wave . "Well, I gotta dash. See you guys."

“Well anyway, while we're waiting I've got the results from the residue of the last two bullets you had for me, Youngjae hyung, and they're of the same exact components as the first bullet.”

“You mean the date rape components and the all the other stuff?” Youngjae perks up, interested."What are the chances I've got something?"

“ I'll send the full report to you," Junhong promises. He frowns when he nearly knocks over a lone coffee cup on the table. It's marked _DH_ in black sharpie on the lid.

"Ah, he's so forgetful," Youngjae comments, steadying the cup. "He forgot Daehyun's coffee."

"Aw,"

"Aw, what?"

"Hyung, you know what'd be an absolutely great idea? You bringing it to him." A sudden look of epiphany flashes across Junhong's eyes.

"Why me? Why not you?"

Junhong busily thrusts the cup into Youngjae's hands and pushes him out the Toxicology door. "I'm busy sending the report to you, remember?"

\-----------

Youngjae doesn't particularly understand why he got kicked out of Toxicology and why he's walking down the doorway to the chamber of death when he could be nice and warm back in the ballistics lab, but he assumes he can at least find out about the status of the parts from today's case. 

When Youngjae enters the morgue, Daehyun’s pulled up a stool at the countertop, clicking away at the mounted computer. The first thing he notices are the mounds of empty chocolate boxes stacked on the corner of his table. "Popular, aren't we,”

“I graciously accept each and every heartfelt token of appreciation from all my fans.” Daehyun wheels around to welcome Youngjae with tired eyes, a pleased look evident on his face. "I was expecting Jongup, but this is a nice surprise. You're quite the sight for my sore eyes."

“Good luck with returning the favors on White Day,” From the looks of things, the pathologist had been polishing off both sweets and paperwork in his downtime. 

“Oh, let's say I repay the favors...in advance.” Daehyun waggles his eyebrows suggestively. 

“Was that what you were doing today? Repaying these…favors of yours?” Youngjae studies the work on Daehyun's desk suspiciously. 

"Not quite that exciting, just been the harbinger of bad news today." Something about the way Daehyun says it is a little off. Not quite noticeable, but the creases at the corners of his eyes seem forced somehow.

"Must've been exhausting." Half of him wants to ask if the pathologist's fine but he refrains. It might be a personal thing. The families that can accept a death of one of their own were few and far in between.

“Missed me, didn’t you?” Daehyun's plump lips quirk upwards. "That for me?"

Youngjae pays him no heed, handing him the coffee. “ Don't get ahead of yourself. It was quiet.”

"I was just kidding, but...you actually brought coffee for me. I must have done something right in my past life," Daehyun gapes at the container in his hand, looking so thoroughly surprised it throws Youngjae off guard.“Thanks baby. I’ll cherish your kind thoughts."

" I'm giving Jongup a well-deserved break. Let the guy live, will you?"

“It’s not like people stop dying when I take a break,” Daehyun breaks into smile, taking a big sip from the cup.

Youngjae peeks curiously around the sheathed autopsy tables. "Did you take a look at what was brought in today?"

"There wasn't much to see, but I'm going to do the autopsy with Yongguk hyung later. More like he's insisted on it. You'll be the first to know if I find anything that tickles your fancy."

"Hm," Youngjae murmurs in understanding.

“Will you offer to accompany me through the night? Would be nice if you stayed. I could fire up the laptop and we could watch a drama or something if you want."

"And pass up on sleeping in? No thanks,"

You probably are falling for me already though, I can tell.”

Youngjae can’t really find the sass to retort, but it was late and he was tired. He just assumes the position of rolling his eyes at the pathologist. Daehyun seems in a lot better mood now, whatever was bothering him earlier gone from his face. But it could be Youngjae's eyes playing tricks on him.

“You should care of yourself more. It’s nice if you’re mellow like this, you know.”

This catches Daehyun’s attention. “Say that again?”

“Give me your phone," Youngjae says abruptly, holding out his hand expectantly.

"I like where this is going," Daehyun hands the device over. 

“I know, it’s just… take it easy, alright? Don’t fall asleep on the autopsy table. If you need anything important, just call me, okay?” Youngjae punches the numbers into the phone, narrowing his eyes slightly. “ And I don’t mean randomly calling me up to tell me a pick-up line while you’re half-conscious—“

Daehyun takes the phone from him, expression giddy. “Yeah, I got it."

Youngjae doesn't really know what possessed him to entrust Daehyun with his number, but a sort of worry just gnaws at him for some odd reason. They stare at each other for a while before Youngjae breaks the gaze and turns on his heel. "Well, I'll be clocking out. Don't forget you promised me that you'd update me if there's anything."

Daehyun opens his mouth to say something but instead opts for a goodnight. "Alright. See you tomorrow, baby,"

  


Daehyun still texts him at 4 am with a sleepy smiling selca, wishing him sweet dreams with an empty cup of coffee and a slightly creepy caption of “ _You’ll see me in your dreams tonight ;)_ ". 

There’s another message appearing in his inbox. Something about sweetheart and valentines. He dismisses it as spam and deletes it without giving it a second glance. Youngjae was really expecting a dickpic from the likes of Jung Daehyun but he’ll let it slide and falls asleep easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took unbelievably long to churn out and maybe I got a little carried away with worldbuilding but I'd like to think quality over quantity right /sweats
> 
> if anyone's seen that one daewoong cheating picture it threw me for a loop bc daejae is my life
> 
> also I'm salty that I couldn't go to loe bc of exams


	6. Chapter 6

After spending the longest time alternating between tossing and turning restlessly in his bed and playing puzzle games on his phone in a sorry attempt to help him sleep, Youngjae decides he's had enough at 3 a.m. All the overtime lately seems to have caught up with him. It wasn't often that he considered late night snacking, but he just really had a craving for something unhealthy, preferably also fried and delicious. Something like that could do the trick and get his mind off of things. 

He's highly tempted to place a call for delivery--maybe from one of the fried chicken places that Daehyun had constantly badgered him about only for him to refuse--but he decides that it'd be better if he could take a walk and get the food for himself. Throwing on a coat he steps outside of his modest-sized apartment and makes his way down the stairs of the complex. 

The cold weather of late February greets him full on, causing his skin to prickle uncomfortably. While he could easily still layer up in the summer months without having it bother him, he could never really do the same when it came to colder weather. 

He struggles with remembering where the restaurant was located. He pulls out his phone to search for the information when he receives a hard shove from behind.

"Hey!" 

A man in a dark colored hoodie snatches Youngjae’s phone from his hand roughly and takes off down the empty street. Youngjae stares dumbfounded, the rational part of his brain advising that he should just drop it, but his growing irritation isn't going to take any of it tonight. He chases after the mugger and is able to catch him as he rounds the street corner, making the man drop his phone. Youngjae takes a second to pick it up from the asphalt, and in the next second the stranger is pulling a knife out of his pocket threateningly at Youngjae telling him to hand it over. His heart sinks as he realizes the situation he's got himself into.

Before he can speak, however, a box of delivery is launched out of nowhere into the attacker's face, a scooter zooming right past him. Youngjae's a little dumbfounded to see the mugger down on the ground but even more so when he sees a familiar face manning said delivery scooter. 

"Jinyoung?" Youngjae sputters.

"Hurry, get on!" Jinyoung calls out over an idle engine, tossing him a helmet. Watching the mugger stir Youngjae supposes he has no choice but this to avoid an altercation. He climbs onto the scooter and haphazardly throws the helmet on.

"That was really something," Jinyoung laughs when they're a safe distance from the curb, peering over his shoulder at Youngjae. "Are you okay? He didn't get your stuff did he?" 

"I'm good. Thanks to you, he didn't." His adrenaline finally easing down, Youngjae manages to get a better glimpse of the man sitting in front of him. In a red long sleeve and cap, his attire doesn't seem all that different from what he wore that day at the theater. Even at this hour, he manages to look fresh-faced.

“You’re an off-duty officer, right? Why didn't you pull your gun or something?" Jinyoung inquires with something close to a frown, veering into a more busier district.

It's Youngjae's turn to laugh. “Actually, I work in forensics. I don’t carry a gun or anything. Which is why it could’ve been dangerous.”

"Well, it's better the delivery than one of us for that scumbag," Jinyoung reasons coolly. As much as Youngjae feels bad for the other having lost a delivery because of him, he can't help but feel relieved that Jinyoung was there to intervene in what could've ended up being a sticky situation. If he ran away, the mugger could've known where he lived.

"May I ask where we're going?" Youngjae asks, eyeing the increasing presence of neon in the streets flying by.

"Oh, that's right. I was on my way back from a delivery..." The other gasps, as if coming to a realization.

"The 24-hour barbecue joint, right?"

"You remembered!" Jinyoung smiles happily. "My shift just started, actually. Since you're already here, why don't you stay for a snack? My treat,"

Jinyoung parks the scooter in front of the quaint exterior of GOT7 B.B.Q., lugging the metal delivery containers towards the back of the store. He greets the elderly cashier, who from the looks of it, is the owner of the establishment, on the way in.

"Eh, Jinyoungie? I didn't know you were coming in tonight," the owner remarks with a surprised tone of voice.

"Kwanghee called in and said he couldn't make it tonight so I took on his shift. It's no trouble, really." Jinyoung supplies. "One order of barbecue chicken for my friend here, please!"

"A friend of Jinyoungie's? Welcome! I'll have you know our chicken is the best in this part of town,"

"He'll know, Mr. Park," Jinyoung says, giving a good-natured eyeroll before disappearing into the backroom.

Youngjae can't help but give an embarrassed smile at the warm hospitality. He roams around for an open table to occupy while he waits for his food. The restaurant is pretty empty, save for a table of students that might've come from a nearby cram school. The ring at the counter signals his readied food within ten minutes.

Before Youngjae can get up, Jinyoung emerges from the back and takes Youngjae's order off of the pick-up counter with speed, setting it on the plastic table in front of him. It surprises Youngjae, but he still manages a thanks and Jinyoung smiles, flinging off his uniform cap and taking the seat across from Youngjae nonchalantly. A tinge of annoyance does manage to brew within Youngjae. He had initially wanted to dine alone, preferably with his own thoughts, and head back home to sleep. But in the end, he doesn't really know how or have the heart to phrase these misanthropic tendencies of his, settling for just making conversation.

"Sorry if I'm interfering with your shift in any way,"

"It's no big deal. It's not busy here on weekdays." Jinyoung grabs them both waters from the dispenser and places them gingerly between the chicken and radish cubes like a pro. At how attentive and unobtrusive Jinyoung is being, Youngjae feels slightly bad for balking at the idea of companionship. 

"So, cinema usher then barbecue chicken delivery boy? Is there something you do in the mornings too?" Youngjae asks for starters, reaching for a piece of piping hot chicken from the platter. 

"Sleep." Jinyoung says a matter of factly, causing them both to erupt into laughter. "No, really! I just sleep. Don't have time for that at night, but you already know that."

"Hm, I somewhat know the feeling."

"What I do is nothing compared to what you do." Jinyoung's eyes are inquisitive. "Forensics. How is it?"

"It's nothing impressive really, I mean, I just work with bullets in a lab all day. Maybe out in the field if I get a call." More like the _majority_ of the time, in recent months, he wants to add. He chews thoughtfully. "But it's something I love to do,"

"Love, huh."

"Yeah," Youngjae nods, the choice of words even surprising himself. "I guess you could say I've always been especially fascinated with the science behind how each gun works, and how each and every little unique part of it can help piece together an answer to something unknown. It's like, a calling almost. But there's also the other things, like the people I work with that bring a little extra something to the job,"

"I see. I wish I could say the same. Find a... _calling_ instead of what I'm doing now,"

"Are you in some kind of financial trouble?"

"Me? Actually it's... complicated. Starts with me not finishing college, but it's complicated." For the first time in their conversation Jinyoung looks flustered, sipping on his water in an aversive manner.

"I'm sorry I asked," Youngjae apologizes.

"No, no, it's completely fine. It shows that you care. Can't say that about everyone else these days." Jinyoung waves off in an amiable manner. He seems to earnestly study Youngjae's expression. 

"You eat cutely, Youngjae."

Youngjae sputters, realizing he had been aimlessly suckling on a drumstick. "Oh god, I was being gross wasn't I?"

"Sorry, did that come off creepy? I _totally_ don't mean it in that way. I have a friend who, when he eats, has his cheeks puff up like a chipmunk's, you see..." Jinyoung frets in an attempt to clear up his misunderstanding. "It's endearing."

Youngjae turns red at the comment. He opens his mouth to answer but his cell starts ringing before he can start. Jinyoung looks on questioningly as Youngjae examines the caller ID. It's from Himchan.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this call.” Youngjae sighs apologetically,placing some bills on the table for the tab.

"Hello? " 

Jongup's voice is the one that greets him on the other end of the line. "Youngjae hyung, there was a call placed in the last thirty minutes about gunshots being heard in an apartment complex in Hannam-dong,"

"What? How did this happen? " Youngjae questions, watching as Jinyoung takes out his own wallet, shoving Youngjae's cash back into his hands.

"It's on me," Jinyoung mouths, already making his way to the register before Youngjae can protest.

"It looks like, uh, we've got a real nasty case tonight--" Jongup continues over the line.

_"Jongup! Just tell him to get over here stat!"_

There's some shifting and a mumble in the background on Jongup's end. "And there goes Himchan hyung. Where are you right now? I'll give you the address to the place,"

"Wait, that's _my_ apartment complex!" Youngjae exclaims after hearing Jongup recite the address. "Can you call me a cab? I'll be right there."

After he hangs up, Youngjae turns to Jinyoung. "I've gotta go--it's another case. Thanks for the chicken, I definitely owe you one--"

"I'd like to see you again," Jinyoung interjects suddenly, catching Youngjae slightly off guard. "I hope it doesn't come off as strange, but I really liked talking to you today. Maybe we can have dinner sometime?"

Youngjae’s a bit taken aback by the other’s sudden request, but he relents at how earnestly Jinyoung beams at him . "Sure, I'd like that too, Jinyoung."

\-----------

Youngjae arrives later at the apartment complex to be received by Himchan.

"Glad to see you've made it in one piece. We're going to have to limit contamination here. Have these," the investigator says, throwing him some gloves and plastic coverings for his shoes.

"Barely. I almost got mugged tonight." Youngjae says, to which Himchan raises a brow.

"At least you're still in one piece," he reiterates, surveying Youngjae's garb with approval before patting an evidence kit into his hands. "Our vic's in the tub, a fellow named Jackson Wang. Follow me,"

Youngjae follows suit along a route paved by numerous evidence markers. His eyes scan the apartment as he passes by, noting the overall lack of furnishings in the place and searching internally for an explanation as to why Jongup was engaging in a form of improvised planking over a bunch of scattered roses on the carpeting.

The severed remains of a male body lie in the tub, white porcelain contrasting starkly with the discolored flesh. The arrangement should've struggled to stay together due to how many cuts there were , but thanks to postmortem rigor the remains stay upright as if it were twistedly bathing. At the very least, they've the decency the cover up the visible portion of the victim's face.

"This isn't what I expected when I heard you say gunshots." Youngjae wrinkles his nose at the pungent smell of decay and some sort of strong cleaner. 

"There _is_ evidence, actually," Answers a voice on Youngjae's left.

"Hiya," greets the bright-eyed figure now balancing precariously over the tub, who to Youngjae's surprise, isn't Daehyun.

"Taehyung," Youngjae blinks at the deputy coroner. "Daehyun's not here again, huh. He send you here?"

"Actually I volunteered and he gave me the go-ahead," Taehyung says with a big smile on his face, tucking his mop of hair back into his backwards snapback. "To be more specific he might be jus' getting old." 

"He's one to talk," Himchan snorts.

"About the gunshots..." Taehyung begins, pointing to the victim's chest cavity. " A single wound here, so the bullet's lodged nicely in the heart. You can have the honors,"

"It's _this_ again, " Youngjae's own heart beats in anticipation as he digs into the small wound, working what he happens to grab at the end of his tweezers free from its fleshy entrapment. A whole bullet, just like the last of them. It's too coated in dried blood to see exactly what it is, but the trace of the engraving is there. 

"It's just like those previous cases." Youngjae holds it up for Himchan to see before bagging it. 

"Oh, before I forget, hyungs--I've managed to pry this out from the vic's mouth." Taehyung produces a shiny silver object from an evidence bag. " Pretty nasty place to put somethin', but no worries, I slipped it out without disturbing 'im."

"Are those.... keys?" Youngjae asks curiously. Himchan's eyes widen spectacularly, nearly snatching them from the younger man.

"Not just any key--look," Himchan jingles the key ring, revealing a holder labeled with the address of Secret Chocolatiers in Myeongdong. "The lady wasn't lying after all."

"We've found our foreigner,"

\-----------

S.

The letter S is what's engraved on the newest bullet he recovered from the apartment. It's of the same caliber compared to those from the previous cases, and it retained the same sorts of striations--except for a mysterious, deep scratch right underneath the engraving that causes the "U" and "S" bullets to not align correctly. Youngjae re-positions the bullet specimens in the comparison microscope again. Nothing says that the markings have got to spell it out for him--the theory of the bullets being marked with a sort of serial number is still a plausible one--but for some reason Youngjae feels like it should be cohesive. It's like he's missing something.

"Y-O-U-S..."

Reading it aloud, it still doesn't make much sense to him. Perhaps it was a short code for something. Not knowing how else to proceed, he tries inputting the letters into the database. He groans when the results come up empty, rubbing at his forehead in bleary-eyed vexation. He can't believe searching for bullet engraving companies came up with better results than these.

His face remains comfortably buried in his hands until a light knock is heard outside. He peers through the cracks of his fingers at his monitor to see that it was nearly 7 in the morning. Hyunwoo had already left and the others had chose to stay back at the scene in hopes of procuring more evidence . Youngjae removes his hands from his face to see Daehyun poised at one of the lab doors, knuckles lightly tapping the glass window to request entry.

Youngjae watches Daehyun bound in with an involuntary grimace. "And where were you today?"

"Mornings _do_ make you a touch more confrontational than normal," Daehyun remarks all too vapidly. "Something along the lines of 'where were you all my _life_ , you handsome devil' would be much more appropriate, don't you think?"

"I don't think so." Youngjae deadpans. 

The pathologist glances down briefly at Youngjae's work, then back at him. "I heard that the apartment they were investigating tonight was near your place. You feeling okay?"

"Near? More like _at_ my place!" Youngjae can't help but exclaim. "I can't believe the guy was just one floor down from me,"

"What a rough night. And here I was envisioning a more romantic scenario, finding out where you lived for the first time..."

"Great. Just what I need--you now knowing where I live." Youngjae rolls his eyes. 

"I'd call you first whenever I drop by, just saying." Daehyun shrugs, tapping his chin as if wracking his brain for something. " Speaking of call, you know you should really check your messages. I've been messaging you for the past _hour_ ," 

"What? No, you--" Youngjae pulls his phone out of his pocket and surely enough, there are a dozen messages he had missed with the setting on silent. "...didn't."

"The sheer volume of emojis should've told you it's important! They're expecting me back at the lab, but I needed to drop something off for you. I know you'll want to see it." Daehyun huffs, dangling the baggy he's got in his grasp in front of them. The contents consist of a single, shiny bullet. 

"A bullet?"

"Not just _any_ old bullet, but a bullet from that Valentine's Day chocolate box case. It got lodged so far up the left atrium it's no wonder that you missed it." 

"They said that suspect wasn't shot," Youngjae states incredulously, placing Daehyun's specimen under the microscope. In a much better condition than the other four, he can easily read the engraving on the bullet as a letter "R". He immediately starts comparing the other bullets side-by-side, swapping out each pair until he gets two with markings that align. 

"It's _genius_ ," Youngjae gasps. The "R" bullet bridged the previously unaligned scratches on the "U" and "S", meaning it was the missing link between the two. _Y-O-U-R-S_ \---

"The pleasure is all mine." Daehyun replies with a pleased expression. 

"Yours," Youngjae murmurs loudly in realization. "Yours!"

"Yeah, like I said it's mine--wait what." The other man looks at Youngjae, confused. "What's...yours?"

"I think I have it. The bullets--they spell out the word 'YOURS', " Youngjae bolts out of his chair and grabs the unsuspecting pathologist by the arm. "I don't have time to explain. We have to tell Yongguk right away!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~to reiterate this isn't a jinyoung x youngjae fic guys~~
> 
>  
> 
> since there are so many minor characters and roles I just wanted to clarify that so far outside of the usual bap forensics squad we have:
> 
> -myname seyong/gunwoo as some day shift investigators 
> 
> -bts taehyung as deputy coroner who assists dae from time to time
> 
> -monsta x shownu taking on part-time graveyard shift at ballistics lab w/ youngjae
> 
> \+ secret jieun in toxicology and sonamoo newsun in profiling
> 
> and more to come later if needed

**Author's Note:**

> So I wanted to take a break from all the daejae angst (coughbasicallyallmyficssofarcough) I've been writing and ...honestly forensics AU with BAP is like a guilty pleasure to write sobs
> 
> Please excuse my inner CSI nerdiness for showing orz
> 
> BTW if you are curious about the occupations BAP have:
> 
> Youngjae - [Criminalistics w/ specialization in ballistics](http://criminologycareers.about.com/od/Career_Profiles/a/Career-Profile-Ballistics-Expert.htm)
> 
> Daehyun - [Forensic Pathologist (Coroner)](http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/129/Forensic_Pathologist)
> 
> Himchan & Jongup - [Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs, on the field and in court)](http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/124/Crime_Scene_Investigator_CSI)
> 
> Yongguk - Head of Crime Lab
> 
> Junhong - [Toxicologist](http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/127/Forensic_Toxicologist)
> 
> BTW if y'all don't already know...I ship BangSong a lot


End file.
